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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journal of the Confederate Congress --SEVENTEENTH DAY--MONDAY, December 9, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Johns.
Congress then resolved itself into secret session.
SECRET SESSION.
Congress being in secret session,
The Chair announced the following names of the new members on the several committees, to wit:
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A message was received from the President, by the hands of his Private Secretary, Mr. Josselyn.
The Chair presented a communication relative to the flag of the Confederacy; which was referred to the Committee on the Flag and Seal, without being read.
Mr. Walker offered
A resolution instructing the Committee on the Judiciary to inquire into the expediency of so amending the sequestration act as to exempt rein its operations the property of citizens of the United States who went to Europe before the breaking out of hostilities, etc.;
which was read and agreed to.
Also, the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Resolved, That the Secretary of War be requested to communicate to Congress a statement of the number of troops now in service, enlisted for the war, and of the States from which they have volunteered.
Mr. Curry presented a communication from a surgeon in an Alabama regiment; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Smith of Alabama presented a communication from Samuel H. Lockett, a captain in the Army; which was referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read.
Mr. Garland introduced
A bill to provide for the payment of certain troops raised in the Indian country;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Owens presented the memorial of a receiver in the State of Florida; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, without being read.
Mr. Perkins offered a series of resolutions proposing changes of the rules of the Congress; which were read and referred to the Committee on Rules.
Mr. Sparrow offered the following resolution, to wit:
Resolved, That hereafter Congress shall meet at eleven o'clock ante meridian, and that no motion for an adjournment shall be in order until half after three o'clock post meridian.
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And upon the passage of which he called the question, when Mr. Crawford moved to lay the resolution on the table, and Mr. Avery, at the instance of the State of North Carolina, demanded that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded thereon; which are as follows, to wit:
Those States voting in the affirmative are,
Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Texas, and Virginia, 6.
Those in the negative are,
Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Tennessee, 4.
The States of Mississippi and South Carolina being divided.
So the motion to lay on the table did not prevail.
The question then recurring upon the adoption of the resolution, when Mr. Avery demanded a division of the question, and the question being upon agreeing to the first part of the resolution of Mr. Sparrow, which fixes the time of the meeting of Congress at 11 o'clock a. m., Mr. Avery, at the instance of the State of North Carolina, demanded that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded thereon; which are as follows, to wit:
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Those States voting in the affirmative are,
Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana, 3.
Those in the negative are,
Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee. Texas, and Virginia, 9.
So the first part of the resolution was not agreed to.
The hour of 1 p. m. having arrived, Congress went into executive session; and having spent some time therein, again resolved itself into legislative session.
And proceeded to the consideration of the latter part of Mr. Sparrow's resolution; which was, on motion of Mr. Davis, laid on the table.
On motion of Mr. Sparrow, Congress again resolved itself into executive session; and having spent some time therein, again resolved itself into legislative session;
When,
Mr. Harris, from the Committee on the Judiciary, introduced and recommended the passage of
A bill for the admission of the State of Kentucky into the Confederate States of America, as a member thereof.
The bill having been read first and second times, was engrossed, and read a third time; and the question being on the passage of the same, Mr. Johnson of Arkansas demanded that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded thereon; which are as follows, to wit:
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So the bill was unanimously passed.
Mr. Campbell offered
A resolution instructing the Committee on Claims to inquire if any legislation was proper to compensate marshals and deputy marshals in the different States for taking the census of 1860;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Currin offered
A resolution instructing the Committee on the Judiciary to inquire into the propriety of a proposed amendment of the sequestration act; which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Brockenbrough introduced
A bill amendatory of the sequestration act;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. Kenner, from the Committee on Finance, to whom was referred a resolution of inquiry as to the expediency of dispensing with tax assessors in the States assuming the payment of the war tax, reported the same back, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the resolution lie on the table; which was agreed to.
Mr. Kenner, from the same committee, to whom was referred
A bill to repeal all tariff laws,
reported the same back, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the bill lie on the table; which was agreed to.
On motion of Mr. Perkins, the bill was placed on the Calendar for further consideration.
Mr. Conrad, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, reported and recommended the passage of
A bill to authorize the enlistment of additional seamen.
The bill was read first and second times, engrossed, read third time, and passed.
Mr. Conrad, from the same committee, also reported and recommended the passage of
A bill to authorize the appointment of two additional clerks and a draftsman in the Navy Department;
which was read first and second times, engrossed, read third time, and passed.
Mr. Conrad, from the same committee, reported
A bill to authorize the transfer of a certain appropriation; which was read first and second times and, on motion, placed on the Calendar.
Also, a bill to provide for the appointment of chaplains in the Navy; which was read first and second times and, on motion, placed on the Calendar.
Also a bill to provide for the education of midshipmen in the Navy; which was read first and second times and, on motion, placed on the Calendar.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was recommitted
A bill to encourage the enlistment of volunteers for the war, reported back two bills.
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The first,
A bill providing for the granting of bounty and furloughs to privates and noncommissioned officers in the Provisional Army; and
A bill to increase the pay of the Provisional Army.
The bills having received their first and second readings, were, on motion, placed on the Calendar, ordered to be printed, and made the special order for Tuesday at 1 o'clock p. m.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, introduced
A bill to regulate the mode of filling vacancies of field officers in certain volunteer regiments and battalions;
which was read first and second times, ordered to be printed, and made the special order for Tuesday.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, to whom was referred the communication of the Secretary of War recommending the creation of higher grades of rank in the artillery service, reported the same back, that the committee deemed it inexpedient to create such grades, asked leave to be discharged from the further Consideration of the subject.
On motion of Mr. Harris of Missouri, the report of the committee was placed on the Calendar.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, reported and recommended the passage of
A bill to authorize the Secretary of War to appoint an assistant.
The bill was read first and second times, engrossed, read third time, and passed.
Also, a bill to authorize the appointment of chief buglers and principal musicians to regiments in the Provisional Army;
which was read first and second times, engrossed, read third time, and passed.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, to whom was referred a resolution of inquiry as to the expediency of paying for cavalry horses killed in the service, not mustered into said service, reported same back, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the resolution lie on the table; which was agreed to.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, to whom was referred a memorial concerning the medical examining board, reported the same back, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the resolution lie on the table; which was agreed to.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, to whom was referred a bill to provide for the public safety, reported the same back, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the bill lie on the table; which was agreed to.
Mr. Sparrow, from the same committee, to whom was referred a resolution concerning the burning and destruction of cotton and other productions, reported the same back, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the resolution lie on the table; which was agreed to;
When,
On motion of Mr. Sparrow, the resolution was placed on the Calendar.
Mr. Sparrow, from the same committee, reported
A bill to provide for connecting the Richmond and Danville and the North Carolina railroads for military purposes;
which was read first and second times, ordered to be printed, placed on the Calendar, and made the special order for Thursday next.
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Mr. Ochiltree, from the same committee, reported
A bill to fix the rank and to provide for the pay of certain officers therein named;
which was read first and second times and, on his own motion, placed on the Calendar.
Congress then, on motion of Mr. Johnson of Arkansas,
Adjourned until 12 m. to-morrow.
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
Congress being in executive session,
Mr. William E. Simms and Mr. Henry C. Burnett, commissioners from the State of Kentucky, were received, and addressed the Congress.
Mr. Rhett offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That the President's message and accompanying documents before Congress be referred to the Judiciary Committee, with instructions to prepare and bring in a bill admitting Kentucky into the Confederacy of the Confederate States, upon an equal footing with the other States of the Confederacy.
The resolution was unanimously agreed to.
The Chair laid before Congress a communication from the President, transmitting, for the advice and consent of Congress, the nominations of George P. Scarburgh, of Virginia; Walker Brooke, of Mississippi, and Thomas C. Reynolds, of Missouri, to be commissioners under the act for the sequestration, etc., of the estates of alien enemies, etc.
Also, William M. Randolph, of Arkansas, to be district attorney for the eastern district of Arkansas;
which, on motion of Mr. Chilton, were referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. Perkins offered the following resolution, to wit:
Resolved, That the Secretary of Congress prepare for the delegation from each State a list of the nominations from the respective States.
The resolution was agreed to.
Mr. Miles moved that all army nominations lying on the table, and sent in to Congress this session, be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
The motion prevailed,
And Congress resumed legislative session.
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